APPF and ABP to Fall Under the MoD

APPF unit assigned to guard the Tarakhil power plant
(Photo DVIDS, March 201@)

The Afghan Public Protection Force (APPF) and Afghan Border Police (ABP) will no longer be part of the Ministry of Interior (MoI). The organizations will now fall under the Ministry of Defense (MoD). A Defense ministry spokesman says they will receive more equipment and better training. The APPF and ABP will take on new missions. They will be part of the 'Hold' phase of 'Clear', 'Hold', and 'Build'. 4,000 members of the ABP will remain under the MoI to secure borders, airports, and custom stations. Read more in "Public Protection Forces And Border Police to Join the Army", Tolo News, November 6, 2017.

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SFAAT 82 Completes Advisor Mission with ABP

Detachment 82, Security Force Assistance Advisory Team of the 80th Training Command completed the demobilization process at Fort Bliss, Texas after returning from a mission in Afghanistan where they advised the Afghan Border Police (ABP) at brigade level in Herat, Afghanistan. SFAAT 82 was comprised of 16 Soldiers from 10 different states that first met each other only a few months prior to their January 18, 2014 mobilization. The team leader of SFAAT 82 was complimentary of the ABP sayiing ". . . they are extremely professional, probably some of the better we've seen in the ANSF." Read more in "Det. 82, SFAAT completes mission in Afghanistan", DVIDS, December 9, 2014.

ABP- "Masters of Corruption"

General John Allen, a former commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) once said that corruption is the top threat in Afghanistan; that in comparison, the Taliban are "an annoyance". The Afghan government has difficulty in generating revenue to provide services, pay its police and soldiers, and run the government. If the corruption at the borders would subside a bit then more money would be available. Unfortunately most of the revenue that the border crossings generate does not go to the government but into the hands of corrupt provincial governors and police officials. One of the most corrupt organizations within the Ministry of Interior is the Afghan Border Police or ABP. The ABP maintains security and work with the corrupt customs officials to facilitate the activities at the border crossings. Read more in "At Afghan Border, Graft Is Part of the Bargain", The New York Times, November 11, 2014.